Hayden and I were neck and neck when we got to the first checkpoint—a coffee shop on the corner that I often frequented. Since we were racing through my hometown, I knew exactly where the second checkpoint—a little dry cleaner shop—was, and I knew a shortcut to get there. While Hayden kept going straight, I made a sharp right into a narrow alley. I wouldn’t have been able to get through here in a car, but a bike was just fine. Breezing down the tight street, I emerged onto the main road just ahead of Hayden. I saw him look back in surprise, like he hadn’t realized I was gone, then he hunched down for speed.
Laughing, I easily kept in front of him as we passed the second checkpoint. The third checkpoint was a Mexican restaurant on the far side of town from where we started. We had to cross a set of railroad tracks to get there, but at this hour, there shouldn’t be any trains coming. As we got to a street that ran parallel to the tracks, I could see that my assumption was wrong. The lights of a train were barreling down the tracks in our direction; the train was going to hit the intersection before us, holding us up.
Slowing down, I debated finding another crossing. Hayden shot past me. Incredibly, he was increasing his speed, not diminishing it. Jesus, was he really going to try to beat the train? Was he nuts? But if he beat the train while I had to sit and wait for it…there would be no catching him. He’d win. And my only real chance of helping my father would evaporate.
Cursing the fate that had brought me to this point, I pushed my bike as hard as it would go. Pretend the train isn’t there. Pretend it’s not outpacing you. Pretend it won’t kill you if you don’t time this right. I was approaching the crossing too quickly, and yet not quickly enough. Letting out a quick prayer, I started a countdown in my head. Three…two…oh shit, here we go.
Hayden and I crossed the tracks so close together, we probably appeared to be one long bike to the conductor. The train’s horn screamed at us, and the vibration from the metal beast vibrated my bike and rattled my rib cage…but it didn’t hit us. Thank God.
I wanted to take a second to appreciate the fact that we weren’t pancakes, but Hayden tirelessly blazed on to the next checkpoint. God, no wonder he was undefeated. He was fearless. And reckless.
At the Mexican restaurant, we turned around to begin the trek back to the starting point. Hayden was still in front of me, goading me on. I was right on his tail, though, and not about to give up now. Taking a chance, I chose a different road that I thought might be just a little faster. It was odd to no longer have Hayden directly in front of me, but if I imagined he was there, his taillight bright in my vision, I still felt that same energetic rush that came from chasing him.
Street after street, intersection after intersection, I pressed onward, trying to beat him to the finish. Every step of the way I was worried that he’d somehow already gotten there and his friends were making up their minds to seal my doom. No, I need this too badly.
Zipping around the last corner, I finally ended up back on the main street where we’d started. And Hayden was nowhere in sight. Shit. He’d finished. Even as my heart sank, I pressed on. I had to at least show them I was persistent. That had to count for something.
When my tires rolled over the crosswalk, I noticed that Hayden’s friends were still here. Good. Hopefully I’d managed to impress them with my fortitude. As I slowed my bike, though, I noticed something odd about them. They weren’t looking at me. They were staring—open-mouthed—at something just behind me. Wondering if a cop was on my tail—or worse yet, someone I knew—I snapped my head around to look. I was so shocked to see Hayden right behind me that I almost crashed my bike. Oh my God! I beat him!
Sliding my bike to a stop, I ripped off my helmet and raised it into the air. Hayden slowly stopped beside me and removed his own helmet. His face a mixture of annoyance and amazement, he slowly shook his head. “I can’t believe you followed me over those tracks.”
“There’s nowhere you can go that I won’t follow,” I purred. I wasn’t sure exactly what I meant by that, but at the moment I didn’t care. If we were alone, I would have pulled his mouth to mine and begged him to take me to the brink again…but we weren’t.
“Holy shit, man! She got you! She beat the unbeatable. She fucking beat Hayden fucking Hayes!” As Hookup ran up to us, Hayden’s eyes turned smoldering, like he knew where my mind had drifted.
“Yeah…she got me…” he murmured. By the look on his face I was pretty sure he wasn’t talking about racing anymore. I wanted him to lean over and suck my lip into his mouth. Then I wanted those marvelous lips to travel down my throat, down my chest, over my breast…Damn, just the thought of him in my bed again had me tingling with need. It was like he was forbidden fruit; I knew we couldn’t go there, but I also knew how good being with him was, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Was he having the same problem? Or was he still mad?
Luckily, Hookup ran between us, breaking the spell. Hand on my shoulder, he excitedly exclaimed, “Anybody who beats Hayden gets automatic entry to any event of their choice. Thursday is the next race. I’ll text Hayden with the spot and the time.” His expression suddenly turned sly after that. “I’m assuming you’ll be with him.” Before I could answer, he swung his gaze to Hayden. “You lucky son of a bitch! It’s like you get to bang Felicia twice, man. Just don’t let this one flip out and vanish. Bitch. Izzy’s still pissed at her for bailing on her and Antonia like she did.”
A myriad of expressions crossed Hayden’s face while Hookup was talking. Irritation, anger, then sadness. “Yeah, well…Kenzie and I aren’t like that. It’s just…racing.” He almost sneered the word, and an instinctive ball of anger tightened my chest.
Okay, he was mad. Well, I could understand that. The situation made me angry sometimes too, but it wasn’t something either one of us could change, and taking it out on each other wouldn’t solve anything. Relaxing my expression, I decided to simplify things by agreeing with him. “Yeah…just racing.”
Hookup looked confused, like he didn’t understand why two such similar people weren’t “banging.” “Okay…” He patted Hayden on the back in—I swear—consolation, then he took off and hopped into the car with Grunts. Seconds later the pair were gone.
With an awkward glance at Hayden, I wondered what to say now. The only thing that came to mind was “Thank you for doing this. I know you didn’t want to…but it means a lot to me that you did.”
I turned away, but looked back when I heard Hayden softly say, “I told you I would…and I keep my word.” His voice was laced with so much wistfulness that it made my chest feel like a thousand-pound weight was sitting on it.
God, it would be so easy to forget everything between us and ask him to come over. And that would only make things so much harder. I could hide a secret racing partner from my father, hide illegal street racing, and probably even hide a secret lover for a time…but could I settle for a life of secrets? Hayden was forever linked to Benneti, which meant he could never be linked to me.
“Good night, Hayden,” I murmured, and I was surprised to feel tears stinging my eyes. It shouldn’t hurt already, but it did. I guess even once was too much.
Chapter 17
All day Thursday, I thought I might throw up, and when the sun finally set, I actually did. Even though I’d already raced through city streets with Hayden, I couldn’t believe I was going to go through with this. I was putting it all out there to save the team I loved, and I hoped the risk paid off.
A different kind of nerves hit me when I got to the site of the race and pulled up beside Hayden’s bike. So much had changed between us so fast, I felt dizzy and disoriented. What were we now? I had no way of classifying our relationship except unwise. Hookup
Hayden held his hand up in greeting when he saw me; he looked delicious in his leather jacket. He had on a white T-shirt, partially tucked behind a thick black belt. The large round metal buckle pulling it all together was like a beacon, calling out to my slowly accelerating sex drive: Unbuckle me, undress me…undo
me. Shutting off my bike, I exhaled a deep, cleansing breath before removing my helmet. Partners, just partners.
Resting my helmet on the handlebar, I hopped off the bike and walked over to where Hayden was in a conversation with Hookup and Grunts. Hookup’s grin was a mile wide when he noticed me. “Oh good, Felicia Two is here!”
Hayden immediately smacked him in the chest. “For the last time, that’s not her name.”
Hookup rubbed his chest; by the look on his face, you’d think Hayden had broken a rib or something. “Fine. Kenzie…Kenmeister…Killer Ken…Kenikaze.”
It annoyed me, but I let the stupid nicknames go. Kenikaze was better than Felicia Two. Or sweetheart. “What’s the plan?” I asked, hoping I didn’t sound as clueless as I felt.
Hayden turned to me with a sad smile on his lips. He didn’t appear to be angry anymore; I think I would have preferred it if he were. “All races are one against one, to draw less attention. You’re entered in the first race of the night, against…” He searched the crowd, then pointed across the street. “Against that guy with the green Mohawk. He’s a veteran, like me…so be careful.” When he returned his eyes to mine, they were heavy with worry.
Tossing on an unconcerned grin, I did my best to act like all of this was routine. “I beat you. How tough can this guy be?”
Hayden’s lips curved into a sexy smile that quickened my breath. “Very true,” he murmured. Biting my lip, I turned my head to study my competition. Ignoring Hayden would be so much easier if I didn’t find him so damn attractive.
The green Mohawk guy was with his crew, gathering bets and pumping up that side of the crowd. It was a little shocking to me just how many people had come out for this. It was so strange to think that until Nikki had exposed me to it, I’d had no idea this world really existed outside of movies. And now, not only was I a part of it, but I was about to make my mark on it.
Hookup explained the setup and where the checkpoints were. The race was taking place about thirty minutes east of Oceanside, and I didn’t know the streets here as well as I knew the ones back home. The circuit moved around a lot, though, so I wouldn’t always have the benefit of home field advantage.
Once Hookup was positive that I had some clue where to go, he told me, “You beat this guy, your cut is twenty-five percent of the pot.”
That made me frown. “Twenty-five? What happens to the other seventy-five percent?”
Hookup’s unhappy expression matched mine. “Organizers take fifteen, I take the rest. It ain’t free to race, sweetheart. You lose, I’m out ten grand.”
Surprise over the dollar amount made me momentarily forget that he’d just called me my least favorite name. “Ten thousand dollars? To enter one race?” Jesus.
Hookup nodded matter-of-factly at me. “Yeah, ten thousand dollars. Why do you think I tested you against Hayden? Had to make sure you were worth the investment.” Holding his hands up, he shrugged. “But if you don’t want to share with me, you’re more than welcome to pay the entrance fee yourself. Assuming one of the organizers will even talk to you…which they probably won’t. Bigwigs don’t even come down here. You gotta know people…which is what I’m here for. Hookup is my name, after all.”
His explanation halted any further comment. Sure, it was ridiculous how much of a cut Hookup was taking, but I didn’t have that kind of money, or the connections he had. And if I won…well, it wouldn’t be a bad start to helping Dad. And besides, I was sure Hookup used some of his earnings to help Izzy, so it wasn’t all for nothing.
“It’s fine,” I quickly told him.
He nodded, like he’d expected that. “Don’t be too discouraged. You’ll also get a small chunk of the side bets, which Grunts and I handle for you. If you want to put some money down on yourself, we’d be more than happy to front you the cash.” I immediately rejected his offer; I had enough pressure on me to win, no point in adding the potential to get very deep in debt on top of it.
Nervous energy pounded through my veins as I watched Hookup start taking outside bets. Grunts took my helmet and strapped a camera on it while I started pacing. Shit. This was actually happening, and I needed it to happen. I desperately needed to win. Hayden interrupted my restless movement by putting his hands on my shoulders. Squatting down a little, he looked me in the eye. “I know this isn’t what you’re used to and you’re freaking out because you want it so much…but you can do this. Relax, and trust yourself.”
“I really wish you’d stop doing that,” I told him.
“Doing what?” he said with a smile.
“Getting inside my brain without permission,” I answered with a frown. “It’s really not fair, since I can’t step inside your head.”
With a rueful laugh, he looked away. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that…” Returning his eyes to me, he lifted his scarred eyebrow. “But I didn’t peek in your head this time. Your nerves are written all over your face. And you need to fix that, because no one will bet on you if you look like you’re about to pee your pants.”
Inhaling deeply, I shook my head. “I don’t care about bets…I care about winning. I need this.”
Hayden’s face softened as he whispered, “I know. But the more people who bet on you, the more races Hookup will enter you in after this. You need to keep him happy if you want to keep racing. In a way, it’s kind of like smiling pretty for sponsors and sounding great on camera. Legal or illegal, it’s all part of the same game.”
That didn’t help my nerves at all; I sucked at both of those things. “Great. Good to know.”
Hayden sighed as he studied me. “I’m not helping, am I? Hmm, I have an idea. Don’t hit me…”
“Why would I—”
Before I could ask my question, Hayden’s mouth was on mine. I was too startled to react at first, but then a warm, roiling heat started coursing through my body, obliterating every anxiety I had, and I voraciously kissed him back. My fingers moved to his chest, gripping his T-shirt in a desperate attempt to pull him closer. He slid his hands down my back, enveloping me in his scent, his feel, his sheer masculinity. The world around me melted into nothingness, and all that was left was Hayden, me, heat, lust, desire, and…some intangible force I couldn’t even name.
His tongue slid along mine and I groaned with need. Yes, more. And just like that…he was gone. My lids felt like heavy weights were attached them; opening my eyes was a struggle. When my vision finally focused, I saw Hayden staring at me with a wary expression, like a mouse trying to sneak around a sleeping cat. The realization of just what he’d done hit me so hard, I reacted before I could stop myself—I socked him in the arm.
Rubbing himself, he backed away with a scowl. “Hey, I said don’t hit me.”
“And I never agreed I wouldn’t. You have no right to—”
Holding up both hands, he cut me off. “Are you still nervous?”
With the memory of his lips on mine…no, I definitely wasn’t nervous anymore. I was something else entirely. “That still doesn’t give you the right to do that.” I tried to look menacing, but I didn’t think I was pulling it off very well. The grin on his face confirmed that I wasn’t.
“I know,” he murmured. “That’s what made it so much fun…”
Seeing his flirty humor return lightened something in my heart. Maybe we could retain some of what we’d had before we’d slept together. Although, with how much I wanted to pull him back to my mouth, I was doubtful. Luckily, Hookup approached us with news that the race was about to start before I could. “Hey, lovebirds. Time for Ms. Hot Shit here to strut her stuff.”
“We’re not lovebirds,” I said, correcting him.
He smirked at me in answer. “Right…” Turning to Grunts, he said, “Hey, man, tell me…are throat inspections part of racing now?”
Grunts huffed an amused response and I grabbed my helmet from him. “Just show me where to go.” I needed speed. Now.
Laughing, Hookup pointed over to the crosswalk being used as a starting line. M
y competitor was already there, waiting. After I joined him, someone in the crowd standing near the line shouted, “Next green light means go!”
My heart thudded in familiar anticipation, while a tiny voice in the back of my mind screamed, This is crazy! You can’t do this! No…this wasn’t crazy, this was a chance to win thousands of dollars, and I couldn’t turn that down…I just couldn’t.
The light changed color and when nothing but green filled my vision, I punched it. Mohawk boy beat me off the draw, but I was right on his tail. Since I didn’t know the city that well, I stuck to Hookup’s suggestions. That got a little nerve-racking when Mohawk Boy veered left while I kept going straight. But Hayden had told me that going off course was sometimes strategic rather than an actual shortcut. He did it at times when there was no real advantage, but it got in the other rider’s head, made them second-guess their choices. And doubt could sometimes make all the difference in a close race. I held firm to what I knew to be true, and lo and behold, when the Mohawkian appeared again, he was behind me.
And he stayed behind me for the next three checkpoints. At each one, a person holding a flashlight on the corner flicked the light three times to let us know they’d spotted us. After the last location, an espresso stand next to a gas station, we flipped a one-eighty and started heading home to the last checkpoint—the starting line. Mohawk got a surge of courage or adrenaline, for he pulled up next to me, leaving me in the lead by less than an inch.
Hayden had told me that the actual rules of the race were lenient. In fact, there were only two—don’t start early, don’t miss a checkpoint. Getting a little too…friendly…with your competitor wasn’t a problem here. Just incredibly dangerous. As the last straightaway loomed before us, I let my bike drift near Mohawk’s. Focused on his end game, he didn’t move away from me. We were so close together now that I could have reached out and kicked him. Instead, I gave him a little kiss…with my bike.